How to Teach and to Word Assignments So That Students Do More and Better Work.

Hodges, Daniel L.

Poor student study habits are often rooted in the low standards which students set for themselves or in the absence of standards by which they can judge whether they have mastered a skill or subject. One technique for teaching students to apply standards to their work involves a series of steps by which students can monitor their own progress. The instructor teaches the student the correct actions to follow, how to identify and observe the results of their actions, the standards that apply to the work, the means of comparing the results to the standards, and the need to change their actions if their results do not meet the standards and to repeat the actions if standards are met. In teaching the standards, the instructor should use whatever senses (e.g., sight, hearing, touch, or feeling) are relevant; provide a checklist of traits that standard work should possess; provide negative as well as positive examples; and teach the standards appropriate for beginners as well as the ideal. Standards should also be stressed when giving assignments. Rather than telling a student to read or study a passage, the instructor should provide clear standards by which students can tell if they have mastered the materials. When students are taught to apply standards to the results of their work, they are likely to work harder and more accurately. (HB)